southgate



G. T. SOUTHGATE.

HIGH POTENTIAL SWITCH;

nrrucmou mm APR. 26. lszb.

Y 1,417,420. Pfltflnted y 23, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

G. T. SOUTHGATE.

HIGH POTENTIAL SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED APFLZB. 1 920.

Patented May 23,1922

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

a 7 n 3 o A a a x a 7 u/ a k-r fli w ,x I a w a w 45 m Iw/ a o 6. T. SOUTHGATE.

HIGH POIENTIM. SWITCH.

APPLICATION man APR. 26. I920- Patent/ed May 23, 1922.

GEORGE T. SOUTHGATEHOF NEW YORK, N. Y.

memrornn'rmi. SWITCH.

cavi r- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 23, 1922.

Application "n ea'a rn 2s, rage. s 'r'ia u 376,748.

To all whom it may coricern:

Be it known that I, Gnome T. SorrrHcA're,

a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in High-Potential Switches; and'I dO hereby declare the following to be a full;

clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in'th'e art to which it 'app'ertains to make and use the same. I My invention relates to high potential switches.

Among the objects of my invention are To provide certain improvements upon the structures shown in my U. S. Letters Patent #1310585 granted J uly 22, 1919, for

high potential switchesandamong the im-' provements made thereupon are to l be noted l The use of conical spiral discharge horns in combination with vertically disposed masts. I I v i The use of vertically disposed axially revoluble insulators for supporting the masts. The use of a choke coil for damping high frequency oscillations in the line and so disposed that its elect-ro-magnetic arc-repelling effect may be used to aid in extinguishin' the are when the contacts of my improved switch are separated.

The use of improved forms of roller contact to obviate the interference of sleet with the operation of same. I

The use of a spring connected to the revoluble insulators 'so that the force due to said spring may he used for bringing the switch contacts together or'to separate said contacts. as desired.

In carrying out my invent-iom'l make use of the instrument-alities illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved switchQ Fig. 2 is a view of the parts shown in Fig. 1 looking in the direction ofthe arrow 2 in said figure. The rod 17 is omitted in this figure for the sake of clearness.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side view of the rotary contacts.

j-Fig. 4 is'a view of some of the parts shown in Fig.3 looking in the direction of the'arro'w 4 in said figure.

Fig.5 is a diagrammatic view of my profeired form of choke coil.

f Fig. 6'is a detail view of the driving mechanism for my improved switch when viewed inthe'direction of the arrow 6 in n the drawings 10 represents insulators which are of any preferred form of construction and of which there may be any number assembled tandem vertically inorder to suit the potential of the current on the line which the switch is designed to break.

The f lowermost of the insulators 10-10 are supported upon shafts 11-11 and the latter are revolubly mounted in brackets l 12-12 which are secured to the frame 13,

thelatter being supported upon any approved structure two of the members of which may be as shown at 21-21.

Bevel pinions 14-14 are secured upon the lower ends of the shafts 11-11 and said pinions mesh with the bevel gears 15-15.

The bevel gea rs 15-15 are secured upon the shafts 16-16 and the latter are revolubly mounted in suitable hearings provided in the brackets 12.

l A connecting rod 17 has each end pivotally connected as at 18 to one of the gears 15. bevel pinion 19 meshes with one of the bevel gears 15' and said pinion is mounted upon the shaft20 which is revoluhly mounted in a bearing provided in the frame 22, the latter being supported at its upper end upon the shaft 16 and having its lower end held fixed by the brace 23 secured thereto and to the structure 21.

A collar 24 is secured upon the shaft 20 and said collar is provided with a socket for the reception of the hand lever 25. Said collar is also provided with a lug 26 having a hole for the reception of the locking bolt 27. The locking bolt 27 passes through holes in the bracket 28 and is normally retained in place by the padlock 29. The bracket 28 is provided with bearin for the lower end of the shaft 20 and sai bracket is secured upon the structure 21.

The supports 30-30 of the lowermost insulator are provided with hooks 31-31 to each of which is secured one end of one of the springs 32 -32, and the otheccnds of said springs ire connected 'tnge'ther by. the rod 331' M According to the angular location'of the hooks 31 upon the respoctivcsupportsjflo depends whether the force of the sprm 32 is applied to aid in the 0 ening of t e braces said horns extend in a curve horizontally as shown in Figures 1 and 2 in order to make wiping contact with each other as at 4848 and from the extremities of said horizontal ortions said horns extend clown wardly an are joined to the arms 34 as at 4949.

Flexible connections 50-50 are connected to the terminals 51-51 which are mounted upon 'the springs 38-438 and serve to conswitch or whether it is applie to aid in thenect said springs with the line terminals 53.

closing; orf-theswimhr r 1 In the drawin th hooks filflI are. placed substantia y in the plane passin' throughthe axes of'the shafts liq-11 m w ns h' P a e mete ing-B2132} ll. tend to hes the arms ak-sli lnn 'theppsrtionsi shown in rigs. 1 and R andQt mstpre-them ner and masts 85- are seen;

to these positions when xnoved therefiom; If. .tl ehooks 31. areplwe-plion opposite-sides lailane t ematic PJF 2: 4 l$l in; moving, the arms 34,, ;e i ther:--towa:rd or. away from the position own in F1g8. 1 and 2 according to the relativelqcatnqnsof said hookstoesaidplane 2 p Arms ti l- ,34 are; secured. .to-eachs i h uppermost insulators .in any approved saiddnsulators in, axial alignment therewith: Near the top of each mast areinsulators-afi-e- 36 which are provided for tr-purpose hereinafter .explained,-. mdt horn sufipcrts fizz-37 are secured on the upper en .pizisaid in suletorstr- Springs-33 are secured to the inner ends of the arms34 and on the upperspriug, on the left'of Figures 1 and -3 is revolubly mountedthe contact wheel 89.. .The contact wheel !40 isprovidod with .a :shaft 41 Iwhioh extends through ahole which is provided in the wheel 39 and. has its lower and row a similar manner, the 'lower and upper contact. wheels 42 and 43 on the rightmf said figures are secured to the corresponding springs 38. The springs 38 on the left of said figures may be adjustedrtowards' each other by the screw 44- so as to move the abutting faces of the wheels-39 and "10 fun than a arm-tr- Similarly, the springs 38 on the rightot-said figures may be adjusted away from each other by thescmw-"tfi so as to more the outer faces of the-wheels 42 and l3 closer together. '1-

--'lhe periphcries of the wheels 39 and 40 are shaped to snake a re-entrant angle with each other eudthe peripheries of the wheels fiend 43 are shaped to make a salient angle.

" ported at one end bythe support 37 and extend downwardly in the torn; of a conical spiral to the braces FF-43 and from said Theoperation of the device just described is as follow The parts being in the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2, that is, in the Jositions which close the circuit through tie connections 5M0; tithe o orator desires to open the circuit, he unlo s the padlock 29 and removes the bolt 27. He then applies his hand to the hand lever 25' which may be fixed in thocollar 24 or removable therefrom, as desired, and moves said lever in the direction to, csusejhe arm 34 on the left of Fig. 2 to movejn. a clockwise direction and the arm 34 on the right thereof to more also in a clockwise direction. The movement of said arms will cause the wheels 39 and 40 to be separated. from the wheels 42 and 43, thus terminatin the flow of current through said wheels. T e current then flows through the discharge horns46-46 and as said horns Separate, the horizontal ortions thereof will separate and an arc wi form between said portions which as said horns continue to revolve will be transferred to the conical spiral portion. The conical spiral portion is so shaped that the are will be substantially in the plane passing through the masts 35-435 t roughont the motion of said horns until said are is broken. The insulators 36-436 are placed between the masts 35 and the supports 37 in order to prevent the current from traveling down said horns. The flow of current through the loops formed by flexible connections 50-50 and the discharge horns 46-46, in series tends to establish an electromagnetic flux which acts as a magnetic blow-out to aid in the cxtinguishmcnt of the arc.

. In order to amplify this effect and also to rovi do a choke coil for dumping the high requency oscillations upon the transmission line, I employ tlie'arrangement shown in Fig. 5 in which the same numerals refer to the some parts as in the other figures and the construction of said parts is the same as just described, excepting that the flexible connection 50 asses at 52 into the interior of the mast 35, two through the arm 34, then through the brace 47, then through the dis charge horn 46, then down through the mast 35 and continues the just described course for as many turns as desired and the other end thereof is joined to the terminal 51.

In the operation of my improved switch,

the coil just described not onlyv increases the magnetic blowout effect which was hereinbe-- frequency "oscillationsnwhich. may exist at times upon a transmissionline,.ormayibe in--- duced therein by a switching operation itself..

Thus, it will be seen that'I providea 'sim--.

cheap and effective high potential switch I P which includes means forextin uishing the arc and means for damping oscillations and in which many changes mayibe made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:-

1. In an electric switch, the combination with a pair of arms, of a pair of contact wheels mounted on one end of each arm and located to mutually contact, springs for pressing the wheels of one pair of wheels towards each other, a spring for pressing the wheels of the other pair of wheels away from each other, an axially revoluble insu lator supporting the other end of each arm, and means for rotating said arms.

2. In an electric switch, the combination with a pair of arms, of a pair of contact wheels mounted on one end of each arm and located to mutually contact, the edges of one pair of wheels forming a re-entrant angle with each other and the edges of the other pair of wheels forming a salient angle with each other, springs for pressing t e wheels of one pair of wheels towards each other, a spring for pressing the wheels of the other pair of wheels away from each other, an axially revoluble insulator supporting the other end of each arm, and. means {or rotating said arms.

3. In an electric switch, the combination with a pair of arms, of a contact mounted on one end of each arm, revoluble supports for the other ends of said arms having parallel axes, means for turning said sup ports, masts axially in line with said supports and discharge horns extending be tween each of said arms and the correspondin; mast.

4. In an electric switch, the combination with a pair of arms, of a contact mounted on our end of each arm, revoluble supports for the other ends of said arms having parallel axes. means for turning said supports. masts axially in line with said supports and discharge horns extendipg between each of said arms and the corresponding mast, said dis charge horns having a conical spiral form.

5. In an electric switch, the combination with a pair of arms, of a contact mounted on one end of each arm. revoluble supports for the other ends of said arms having parallel axes, means for turning said supports, masts axially in line with said supports, discharge horns extending between each of said arms and the corresponding mast, and an insulator in each of said masts to prevent the current from traveling downwardly-in the corresponding mast.

i6. In an electric switch, the combination with a pair'of contacts, of armsfor supporting said =contacts,. a mast connected with each of said arms, a 'discharge hornextendingsibetween' each contact and each of said masts, an electric; circuit closed by said contacts,-! means for. moving. i saidcontacts to open Said circuit, a coil in series with said circuit and moving with eachof said arms andwlocated to direct itsma netic 'flux to assist in the extinguishment o the are when said contacts are separated.

7. In an electric switch, the combination with a pair of contacts, of arms for supporting said contacts, a mast connected with each of said arms, a discharge horn extending between each contact and each of said masts, an electric circuit closed by said contacts, means for moving said contacts to open said circuit, a coil moving with each of said arms and located to direct its magnetic flux to assist in the extinguishment of the are when said contacts are se arated, said coils being in series with sai circuit whereby they also act as choking coils.

8. In an electric switch, the combination with a switch arm of a spring secured thereto, a contact wheel having an axial perforation secured to the end of said spring, a second spring secured to said arm, and a second contact wheel having an axially disposed shaft extending through said erforation and secured to the end of sai second spring.

9. In an electric switch, the combination with a switch arm, of a spring secured thereto, a contact wheel havin an axial perforation secured to the end 0 said sprin a second spring secured to said arm. an a second contact wheel having an axially disposed shaft extending through said perforation and secured to the end of said second spring, the edges of said wheels forming a re-entrant angle with each other and said springs tending to press said wheels together.

10. In an electric switch, the combination with a switch arm, of a spring secured thereto, a contact wheel having an axial perforation secured to the end of said spring, a second spring secured to said arm, a second contact wheel having an axially disposed shaft extending through said perforation and secured to the end of said second spring and means for adjusting the mutual approach of said wheels.

11. In an electric switch, the combination with a switch arm. of a spring secured thereto, a contact wheel having an axial perfora tion secured to the end of said spring, a second spring secured to said arm, and a second contact wheel having an axially dispuscd shaft cxlcnding th-i'ough sziicl porforir tion and-secured t0 theend of'saidsecondspring, the edges of said wheels forminga salient; angle with each other and said springs tending-t0 separatesaid wheels.

12. In an electric switeli,-.the:combination: witha switch arm of a spring secured thereto, aeontact wheel having an-axial perform tion secured t0 the end of said spring, a second spring. secured'to said arm, and a second contact'wheel hnving an axially (lis' posed shaft extending through said 'perforzition and securecl'to the-end of said :second spring; andineans' for adjusting the unntual 1 separation -0f-'sa-id wheels.- 15 13!- In I an' electric switch',- the combinatibn" with a basey of an insulator axially revoluble. thereupon, a;- contaet' and a mast 'supp0rted= by said insulator, a lin'e terminal and a flexiblef connection encirclingwaid' mast- 20 nnd havingnone'end connected to said ter minal and the 'other end -connected to said contact:

In testimony whereof; I affixmy'signalure.

GEQJ T. SOU'I HGATE: 

